Artists: The Raconteurs
Album: "Broken Boy Soldiers"
Release Date: May 16
Why It Will Be Worth A Listen: Jack White, of the White Stripes, has teamed up with old friends for this side-project album. Following up on the indie community success of their first single, "Steady As She Goes," the Raconteurs promise to flesh out the ideas revealed by White in the White Stripes. More instrumentation and a drummer who can keep a steady tempo promises to deliver White Stripes-like ideas to more mainstream audiences.
Artist: Alexi Murdoch
Album: "Time Without Consequence"
Release Date: June 6
Why It Will Be Worth A Listen: Following the success of his 2004 single (and Garden State background music) "Orange Sky," Murdoch looks to capitalize on the resurgence of the singer/songwriter. With a style similar to a mix of Iron and Wine, Nick Drake and Jack Johnson, Murdoch is poised to become a household name among surfers, hippies and soccer moms alike.
Artist: The Futureheads
Album: "News & Tributes"
Release Date: June 13
Why It Will Be Worth A Listen: The Futureheads burst onto the scene with their 2004 self-titled debut album, a brash and raw combination of bouncy guitar riffs and a capella-like harmonies. This newest release promises to build on that success without falling into the trap of attempted repetition. Says lead singer Barry Hyde, "Our first album was made by giddy teenage boys but this one has been made by big strong men."
Artist: Sufjan Stevens
Album: "The Avalanche: Outtakes and Extras From The Illinois Album"
Release Date: July 11
Why It Will Be Worth A Listen: Only two albums into his quest to musically document all 50 states, Sufjan has taken a detour to release these additional songs from his Illinois sessions. Weighing in at 22 tracks, the original album was seemingly packed full, but "The Avalanche" promises 21 more. "Illinois" delivered a haunting, cheery, informative and quirky take on the state, and there is no reason to expect anything less from the following landslide of extras and b-sides.
Other anticipated summer releases include Vetiver's "To Find Me Gone," AFI's "decemberunderground," Camera Obscura's "Let's Get Out of this Country," Guster's "Ganging Up on the Sun," Regina Spektor's "Begin to Hope," Zero 7's "The Garden," Nelly Furtado's "Loose," and Frank Black's "Fastman/Raiderman."
